LakelandMom: Tour Lakeland Christmas Light Displays
LakelandMom’s list of Christmas light displays includes a drivable map.
ALSO: In a video, the pastor of Highland Park Church introduces Lights of Lakeland.
Neighborhoods
Crystal Lagoon Planned for Community Near Airport
A housing developer wants to bring a Crystal Lagoon — a large, clear, manmade water structure — to a subdivision planned for 487 acres southwest of Lakeland Linder Airport. Metro Development Group in Tampa has placed one of the lagoons in Wesley Chapel and plans four more in Florida, Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. Lakeland city commissioners are being asked to allow smaller lot sizes in the planned Hawthorne Mills community south of West Pipkin Road to accommodate the lagoon.
LINKS: Crystal Lagoon website | City Commission resolution
Tiny-House Development for Seniors, Veterans Opens
A tiny-house community of affordable homes for seniors and veterans opened just north of Lakeland Square mall Wednesday. It’s the Lakeland Housing Authority’s first new housing development in 18 years | Here’s a cool aerial view.
Map Details Florida Southern College Holdings
If you read The Ledger’s Sunday article about Florida Southern College’s off-campus property holdings and wondered where they’re located, there’s a map for that. Assembled by Lake Morton Historic District resident Michael Maguire, the map details the college’s properties by type, purchase value, latest assessment, tax exemptions and more.
Neighbors Divided Over FSC Lake Morton Holdings
Florida Southern College owns 58 off-campus properties in Lakeland, most of them in the South Lake Morton neighborhood. Some residents there fear campus encroachment and complain about student behavior, while others view the college and its students as neighbors and part of urban living, Gary White reports. NOTE: The online version has a lot more photos of the houses than the print version.
Document Reveals Plans for a South Lakeland ER
An environmental permit application shows a free-standing, 10,920-square-foot emergency room is planned on South Florida Avenue across from Merchants Walk, Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. The 1.71 acres between Pinellas Street and Eastway Drive have been purchased by Zack 1030 LLC of Nashville.
NOTE: An earlier version of this summary incorrectly indicated that the facility was associated with Lakeland Regional Health.
Camera Catches Drivers Blowing Past Stopped School Buses
A Kathleen Road mom who’s worried about kids has launched a campaign to remind drivers to halt when school buses display their stop signs. She’s captured video that shows that many drivers keep going.
65 Tapestries Seen as Transition to Murals in Lakeland
David Collins, who organized the drive to place 65 tapestries on buildings throughout Central Lakeland, sees the project as a transition toward eventually having more murals, as other cities do.